Missing Starring Role
by PetalsOfRose
Summary: Dimitri Belikov is a famous actor. Rose Hathaway is a waitress. What happens when Dimitri is shooting scenes in NYC and meets troubled Rose? Can he earn her trust? Will she become the starring role in his life? Or will Dimitri leave NYC before he has won her heart? AH.
1. The Man In The Duster

I hadn't heard such loud screams from the lady's room since Mia decided she wanted a raise. Her solution was fucking our boss. Now I was pretty sure I heard two female voices. Mia's shrill voice was easily recognized.

"Omigod! Yees!" the other voice screamed. It was Camille, our co-worker. What were they doing? I knew my break was over and I didn't have the time to investigate. On the other hand…

My curiosity got the best of me and I pulled down the door handle and entered the restroom. Camille and Mia were standing before the mirror applying makeup on their already dolled up faces. I had to admit I was a little disappointed. Hot lesbian sex on a bar toilet would have made good gossip.

"Oh, hey Rose," Mia said casually when she saw me in mirror.

"Hey. You realize your shifts aren't over yet, right? Hans is not going to be happy if he catches you out here, when the bar is so busy."

Camille stopped smearing foundation all over her face and smirked at me in the mirror.

"Fuck Hans-"

"Already did!" Mia giggled.

"- have you seen who's out there? Omigod! I am going to die. In my section!"

The two girls started screaming again and fanning themselves with their hands. I was about to ask who it was, that had captured the girls' attention, when there was an angry banging on the door from the bar.

"GIRLS! Come out here! Now!"

Mia and Camille strutted out to Hans, smiling flirtingly.

"Hathaway! Get out to the costumers this very moment or you'll get drawn in salary!" Hans yelled at me. I clenched my jaw. He had already yelled at me once the day, because I forgot my name tag at home. All he did was sending my two co-workers a stern look.

"Yes sir! I'm sorry-"

Hans took me by the shoulders and gently pushed me in the directions of my section. My cheeks heated when I saw how full the bar was that night. I hurried over to two young girls who looked like they were in their early twenties. They were both looking at something across the bar. I cleared my throat.

"Hello, my name is Rose. I'm your waitress tonight and-"

"Is that Dimitri Belikov?" one of the girls asked and pointed at something across the room.

I followed her finger and saw that the girls were not the only one staring at something over there. At a table in Camille's section sat a very tall man with long dark brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail. I couldn't make out more details about the man from where I stood, but it really looked like he was wearing a duster. The duster was Dimitri Belikov's trademark. It couldn't be him, could it? Dimitri Belikov at Miss Croft's? It wasn't a famous exclusive bar or anything. We mostly served the same locals over and over, and in the summer we lived of the tourists.

The man in the duster looked away from his waitress, Camille, and made eye contact with me. I blushed and turned away as soon as his brown stare met mine. I couldn't be caught drooling over the costumers. I really needed this job. I focused my attention on the two girls again.

"Wha-what can I get you two? I stammered flushed.

The girls looked back at me just long enough to give me their orders, before they again turned their attention to the man in duster.

As I readied the girls' pommes frites and burgers, Camille came over to me.

"Dimitri Belikov chose my section! Mine! Omigod! Give me those!" she whispered excited and snatched the box from my hands.

"Hey, those-" I protested angrily. Just because the cowboy wannabe looked like Dimitri Belikov, it wasn't fair that he got his food before the other costumers.

"Shut up, Rosie! A celebrity is always a first priority!"

I opened my mouth to come with an angry answer when Camille turned around on her heels and strutted back to the cowboy wannabe's table. She swayed her hips so violently that it was a miracle she didn't fall over in her 5" heels. All the waitresses at the bare wore a shirt, black skirt and black shoes. Camille always wore a tight shirt, short skirt and heels. For some reason her section was always full of drooling men.

"Hathaway! Food on the table! Now!"

I swallowed my anger and went back to my job. I was a professional after all.

The bar was busier than usual that night and I kept myself occupied. Mia and Camille kept giggling, and most of the costumers were ogling the man like he was Jesus Christ himself. I only sneaked a few glances at him of course. Camille literary pressed her exposed cleavage into his face as she pointed out some good wines on the wine card.

I was on the way to an elder gentleman's table with a tall beer when I ran smack into something very hard. And very alive. I went down on my ass. Pain shot through my whole body and I could feel something wet on my chest. The beer had spilled all over my uniform. I realized the hard thing had in fact been a person.

"I'm so sorry-"

I looked up and starred into the brown eyes of the mysterious tall man. My jaw dropped just a bit.

Up closer there was no doubt that this man indeed was the world famous actor Dimitri Belikov.

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**A/N: So.. This is my first; fan fiction, published story, longer story in English... Everything. I wasn't sure if it I should publish it at all. I've been reading VA fan fictions for a while now, and I decided I would try to write my own. Please tell me what you think! I have a chapter ready now. Do you want it? Please be aware that English isn't my first language. Ugh, I'm really nervous. I'll close my eyes and publish this now. **


	2. Mason The Cutie Pie

I closely studied his face. He had a strong jaw, a thin nose with a high bridge and full masculine lips. But the most captivating thing was his eyes. His dark eye brows framed the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes I had ever seen. And they were staring into mine.

I don't know how long time I sat on the floor just staring at the huge man before me with open mouth. I realized he was speaking to me and waving a hand in my face.

"What?" I said and blinked.

He reached out a big hand and pulled me up when I remembered how to use my motor coordination.

I didn't hear Hans behind me before he spoke in a panicked voice.

"Mr. Belikov, I'll apologize on Miss Hathaway's behalf. She's very clumsy. She will of course pay for the cleaning of your shirt!" I hadn't realized I had spilled the beer on his expensive shirt. My cheeks heated up for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. I wasn't a blusher! What was wrong with me?

"I believe I was the one who bumped into Miss Hathaway, sir. I am truly sorry. Are you hurt?" he asked, his words wrapped in a light Russian accent. I realized he was still holding my hand. I quickly let go of his hand and looked up at him. God he was huge! At least 6'7! He looked down at me with a concerned look in his eyes. He probably thought I was mentally challenged.

"No, not at all. I'm sorry about your shirt-"

"It's no problem. I should get going," he smiled reassuringly.

I hadn't noticed how silent it suddenly had become. Every single person at the bar watched him leave.

I picked up the beer glass that somehow survived the fall on the floor and met my angry boss' gaze.

"Hathaway. My office. Now," he managed to choke out. His face was red with anger and embarrassment. He signaled for Camille and Mia to cover my section. They were both shooting daggers at me. I looked at the floor as I followed Hans into his office.

He sat down in at his desk and signaled for me to take the opposite seat, like I was a naughty school girl at the principal's office. As a matter of fact I had spent a lot of time at my high school principal's office.

"Why did you have to spill beer on a world famous actor, Rosie? Why him? Do you have any idea how good it would be for business if he came back?" Hans said in his too calm voice.

"He's probably leaving town anyways." I answered annoyed.

Hans sighed. "Go home, Rosie. I'll see you tomorrow." I was surprised. No more yelling? We had always had a complicated relationship. Hans was in his early thirties, more than ten years older than me, but we used to be friends. I used to come to the bar often before Hans offered me a job as waitress. I didn't understand what went wrong. He was always hard on me.

"Thanks boss." I gave him a small smile before collecting my things. I called out a goodbye to Mia and Camille. No reply. Great. Just great. I had tried really hard to befriend Camille and whatever little process I had made was now gone. Mia and I used to be friends before Hans hired Camille. Now I seldom spoke to Mia about other things than work.

I lived in a tiny apartment close to the bar. I couldn't afford anything bigger and every dollar I saved went to my college savings. I wasn't sure what classes I wanted to take, but I was sure I wanted an education. My mom had moved to Nepal with her new boyfriend and left me in America at age nineteen with close to no money. I literally lived on my good tips from the bar.

My cat Mason greeted me when I locked the door behind. I scooped him up in my arms and scratched him behind the ears.

"Hey Masebaby, did you have a good day? Did you, cutie pie?" I purred in my most embarrassing voice. His only reply was a loud meow.

I sat him down on the bed and stripped off my wet shirt before getting ready for bed. I studied my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I saw a twenty-one year old girl with long brown hair pulled up in a tight ponytail. My brown eyes were rather large and with black laces. I never wore makeup. I didn't need it. My skin was perfect. I looked a little tired, but that was it. I had to admit that I looked good in my black lace bra. I spat out the tooth paste and smiled at my reflection. Things would get better, the smile said.

I turned off the lights, slipped into an old oversized T-shirt and crawled into bed with Mason.

I stared at the ceiling like I did every night before falling asleep. In my exhausted state I almost forgot that I had spilled beer over Dimitri Belikov. Dimitri Belikov! A smile stretched my lips. It was actually pretty funny. I knew that I would never see him again but it would be a cool thing to tell people. "Hey, I'm Rose. You know what? I spilled beer on Dimitri Belikov once. Cool, right?"

I reminded myself to text my high school BBF Lissa as soon as I woke up. She had moved out of state with her boyfriend to attend college. It had been months since I saw her last time. She loved Dimitri Belikov. It would to fun to hear her reaction.

I yawned, gave Mason a last pet and fell asleep.

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**A/N: Uuuh, thanks! For the reviews and subscriptions. Hope you liked this chapter as well. :) I have more. *evil laughter* Do you want it?**


	3. Adrian Ivashkov And Beer

I spent most of the day on the phone with Lissa. There had been a lot of screaming from her. I barely talked her out of taking the next plane to New York City, to come stalk Dimitri Belikov with me. She was very disappointed I hadn't followed him after he left the bar.

"Rose! You should have followed him into an alley, used those ninja skills of yours on him and raped him!"

I had tried to point out that it was neither a rapist nor a ninja, but she still thought I should at least have tried.

She went on and on for hours how she would've given everything she had to just touch him.

"You're crazy, Liss! Go do something with your boyfriend." She had just laughed at me and hung up.

I showed up at Miss Croft's for my evening shift. I was replacing Meredith at 5 o'clock. I found her whispering excited over something with Mia and Camille.

They all looked up from the magazine they were reading when I stopped before them.

"Omigod! Look at this!" Camille squealed and waved the magazine in my face. I tried to grab it but she pulled it back and started reading out loud.

"Dimitri Belikov, 28, was yesterday spotted in New York City. He and the rest of the cast of The Emerald Prince gave short interviews. Blah, blah, blah... The cast will be shooting scenes in NYC for the next month. Blah blah. Fans from all over the country are traveling to NYC to catch a glimpse of the Russian born hottie." Camille stopped reading and waited for me to say something.

"Uh, cool?" was all I could come up with. I wasn't the biggest fan of Dimitri Belikov after last night.

"He might come back to the bar!" Camille, Mia and Meredith said in unison.

I didn't think so. I spilled beer on him after all. And Miss Croft's really wasn't that different from other bars. I just smiled and nodded at the three girls.

"Omigod Rose! You touched him! He was such a gentleman, asking if you were alright and everything!" They continued to gush over him until Meredith remembered that her shift was over.

The rumor had spread through our part of the city and many of the costumers asked about Dimitri Belikov. Every time someone entered the bar everyone's gaze went to the door. They were sure the cowboy wannabe was going to walk into the bar every minute. Camille had "forgotten" to button up the last three buttons on her white shirt, and Mia's black skirt looked suspiciously shorter than yesterday.

The bar was even busier than the day before and Hans was very excited.

"I am going to be rich, Hathaway. Rich!" he whispered excited as I hurried back and forth between the tables in my section.

"Maybe I'll give you a raise, Rosie," he smiled kindly at me. Hans knew about my money problem and had more than once offered to lend me money. I always turned him down. I didn't like to spend money that wasn't mine. I didn't bother to tell him that business would go back to normal as soon as the new costumers figured that their Russian cowboy wouldn't show up.

"Are you dating anyone, Rose?" Mia asked as we both were filling up drinks. I looked up surprised and spilled some coke on the floor. Mia never asked about my personal life anymore.

"Oops. No, I'm not. Why?" I asked as I threw a towel on the floor and wiped the coke up with my foot.

"I just haven't seen you with any guy since Jesse," she said carefully. My shoulders stiffened. I didn't like to talk about my ex-boyfriend. Mia had actually dated Jesse before me. They broke up, and I was very flattered when a god looking guy like him had shown interest in me. Things hadn't worked out as I hoped and I did everything I could to just forget him. It was four months since he broke up with me and I hadn't been on a single date since.

"I know this nice guy-"she started when I didn't say anything.

"No," was all I said as I hurried back to the couple waiting for their drinks. I didn't need another broken heart.

I was just taking the couple's order when the sound of shattering glass made everyone shut up. My gaze snapped to Mia who was standing in the pool of spilled coke. Her lips shaped an 'O'.

"Not again, Mia! Why are all of my waitresses such klutzes?" Hans snapped. I guess he hadn't seen the two actors at the door yet. The second he did he chuckled and patted Mia's head.

"It's alright, darling," he said loud enough to let Adrian Ivashkov and Dimitri Belikov hear him. Everyone followed them with their eyes as they went to sit down. It took me a few seconds to comprehend that they were sitting in my section.

The noise broke out again and I turned to the couple before me.

"I'm sorry. Two large burgers with fries, right?" I said. The couple was starring at the famous actors at the neighbor table. The girl's expression was dreamy, the guy's angry. The guy nodded.

I took my time with the order. I knew I had to face the guy I spilled beer on. I couldn't believe he had come back. And he brought his co-star Adrian Ivashkov. I was sure Hans was excited out of his mind.

I served the couple, took a deep breath and went to their table. I plastered on a cheery smile.

"Hallo gentlemen. What can I get you?"

Adrian Ivashkov's gaze lowered to my chest and I flushed, thinking he was starring at my breasts. I realized that he was looking at my name tag, that I for once hadn't forgotten at home.

"Hello Rose," he said with a flirty smile.

"Uh, hi. Would-"

"You smell good." What?! I actually think my jaw dropped a little. Was this sexy actor flirting with me?

"Uh, okay. Do you know what you want to drink?"

"I hear the beer here is fantastic," he said with a wicked smile.

I blushed and he chuckled. I shot an angry glaze at the cowboy wannabe next to him. They had probably had a good laugh about me.

"Two beers then?" I asked annoyed.

Adrian opened his mouth to say something but Dimitri beat him to it.

"Yes please. And just ignore my friend here," he said with a kind smile. Damn, he was handsome!

I nodded, not knowing what to say. I hurried back to the bar where Mia, Camille and Hans were all waiting for me.

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**A/N: Here's the delayed update. I've been busy with school and friends this week. Thanks for the reviews! :)**

**A few of you asked what my first language is. I'm from Denmark and therefore speak Danish. (And not English like some people think. "Do you speak English in Denmark?" Um, no. ;))**


	4. Stranger In The Dark

"I can't believe they're sitting in your section! That's sooo unfair, Rose!" Camille whined and threw me an accusing look.

"Don't spill beer on either of them, Rosie! They are VIPs! Which also means no sarcasm or bitchy behavior where they can hear you, understand?" Hans paced back and forth.

"I know my job, Hans. And don't the three of you have jobs to do as well?"

He threw me a _you-are-not-the-one-in-charge-so-shut-up-look_ and disappeared into his office. Mia and Camille sent me jealous glares and went back to their work.

I walked slowly back to the actors' table, being careful not to spill their precious VIP beers.

"Here are your beers. Can I get you anything to eat?" I asked sweetly and gave both men my most polite smile. I sat down the beers in front of them.

"Thank you, Rose," Adrian grinned. "Can you recommend any of your finer dishes?"

I threw him a hostile look.

"This is a bar/restaurant. If you're looking for gourmet food you're clearly in the wrong place," I said through clenched teeth. This guy was starting to annoy me.

"I'll have a Croft Burger," the Russian said, before Adrian could say anything.

I wrote his order down even though I would have no trouble remembering it. Anything to avoid eye contact. It was that man's fault that Hans and the girls were upset with me. Like he wasn't the one who bumped into me and made me spill the beer!

"Yes, sir. And what about you, Mr. Ivashkov?"

Adrian folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat, grinning.

"And the little waitress knows me name! I'm flattered. Your room is probably covered in posters of me half naked, am I right? If you're lucky-"

"He will have the same as I," Dimitri interrupted and caught my gaze. I felt my lips stretch into an involuntary smile. Damn, he was attractive! Those eyes… That mouth…

I cleared my throat. Adrian sipped his beer and studied me.

"Two Croft Burgers it is!" I said a tad too enthusiastically.

I could feel Adrian's emerald gaze on me as I walked back to the kitchen.

"So what are our VIPs craving tonight?" Christian asked without looking up from the beefs he was grilling. He was always sarcastic and obnoxious. I liked Christian a lot. I smiled at his tone. It seemed like he wasn't too crazy about our new guests either.

"Two Crofts."

"Do you think Hans will fire me if I put _jalapeño_ sauce in their burgers instead of ketchup? Accidently of course." He put the beefs on two buns and took two tomatoes from a ball.

"Accidently?" I laughed.

"Of course." He looked up from the tomatoes and gave me a snarky grin.

"Camille and Mia are bitches by the way. Stop sucking up to them," he said as he continued to cut the tomatoes.

"I'm not-"

"You are. You're too good for them, Rose." He said it in a matter-of-fact-tone. I snorted.

"Since Jesse-"

"It has nothing to do with that idiot!" I hissed.

"Rose-"

"Hurry up with the burgers or Hans will have a hissy fit."

"You're the one having a fit."

I smacked his hand away when he reached for the dangerous jalapeño sauce.

"Ooops. I thought it was the ketchup," he said with an innocent smile and reached for the right bottle. He added ketchup and fries and gave me the two plates.

I was on my way back to their table when I saw Camille. She was leaning over their table, wiping at something on the table. Her ass was mere inches from Dimitri Belikov's face. Anger washed over me. It was _my _section. What the fuck did the bitch think she was doing?

"Camille, I wasn't aware that this was your section." She turned around when I approached her.

"There you were, Rosie! I was just refilling Adrian's beer. You were chatting away with your boyfriend in the kitchen-"

"Christian is not my boyfriend!"

"-so I saw it as my duty to serve these two gentlemen." She smiled sweetly at me before turning her attention to the men again. She stroked her cleavage with her fingertips as she picked up the empty glass. Adrian's gaze wasn't even near her face.

"Thank you so much. I'll take over now," I hissed through my clenched teeth. Bitch! She sent the men a flirty smile and strutted back to the kitchen.

I placed the plates in front of them.

"What about you? Do you want a refill?" I asked Dimitri.

"No thank you. I'm fine," he said and held up his almost full glass.

"Enjoy your meal!"

The parking lot was dark when the bar closed. I was freezing in the cold November night. I had never been the biggest fan of darkness. I regretted that I didn't take Christian up on his offer to walk me home. I knew he had plans with his girlfriend and a big girl like me could walk home alone, right?

"Miss?"

I shrieked and jumped. Hand on my throat I whipped around and shrieked again. A tall man towered over me. He was going to kill me! I backed away.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the main said and held up his hands.

"Said the murder to the victim!" I held my fits out in a defensive position. The man laughed and took a step towards me. Oh, why didn't I let Christian walk me home?

The light from the street lamps hit the man's face. It was Dimitri Belikov. Relief washed over me before being replaced with anger and embarrassment.

"What are you doing out here, creeping in on people?" I demanded angrily.

"I'm very sorry. I did not intend to scare you. You looked lost and I simply wanted to know if you were alright." He looked down at me with a kind and concerned look in those gorgeous eyes.

"I'm fine," I snapped. "But thank you," I added, knowing I sounded rude.

"Do you have a car?" he asked and scanned the parking lot.

"No."

"How are you going to get home?"

"Walk. I have two feet."

"No-"

"Yes. Good night, stranger." I started walking away. The man was making me nervous. He gripped my wrist and gently dragged me back.

"No woman should walk home alone at night! Why isn't your boyfriend walking you home?" He demanded.

"I don't have a boyfriend. And I don't need-"

"The chef. He should have walked you home," he said angrily. Why was he angry? It wasn't any of his business. I had walked home alone lots of nights before.

"He offered but-" I tried again.

"I'm going to walk you home," he said firmly.

"I don't leave bars with strangers."

He let go of my wrist and held out his hand. I frowned. What was he doing?

"You're supposed to shake my hand."

"Oh." I blushed and took his warm hand in mine.

"Dimitri Belikov." Like I didn't know that.

"Rose Hathaway."

"Where do you live, Miss Hathaway?"

I sighed. I knew he wasn't going to give up and I was tired. Being a famous actor and everything, he probably wouldn't kill me and leave me in a trash can. I hoped

"This way."

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and subscriptions! :) Remember to allow PMs if you want a reply. This chapter was a little longer. Please tell me what you think! I'm off to bed now.**


	5. Problems With Men

The pavement was really interesting. I studied it as we walked in silence. Nice pattern…

"Did you lose something?"

My head snapped up and met Dimitri Belikov's gaze for a few seconds. I flushed and looked away. I just shook my head not knowing whether or not he could see me in the dark.

"Where's your friend?" I asked instead.

"Adrian, you mean? I think we went home with that friend of yours."

I stopped in my tracks. He did _what_?

"Who?" I demanded.

"Miss Conta." He stopped up and looked down at me.

"_Camille_?" I stared up at him

"Yes, I believe that was her name." He seemed to be studying me.

"Huh. Earlier she was talking about how much she wanted to have your babies."

He just blinked with his mouth open. Maybe it was the poor lightning but I _think_ he was blushing.

"Guess she wants tiny Ivashkovs now." I giggled.  
"Eh. I doubt she's getting any babies," he said, still looking confused.

I started walking again and he followed.

"She's going to be obnoxious tomorrow! _Ooh, look at me. I fucked Adrian Ivashkov! Ooh_."

"Jealous?"

"Nah." Was I? It wasn't because my sex life was that interesting. Try nonexistent. Maybe I should seduce the tall Russian. I chuckled at the thought.

"What's so funny?" he asked, looking down at me with that adorable smile.

"You wouldn't like to know."

"Try me."

I just laughed out loud. Like I was going to embarrass myself like that! I had already spilled beer on the poor man. No, he wasn't a poor man. It was his fault! He bumped into me!

"It looks like you're having an inner battle with yourself," he chuckled.

"Yeah, the voices in my head won't shut up." _Shut up, Rose!_ Shit, did I say that out loud?

"I know the feeling," he said with a weird twist to his lips.

"I can recommend a really good shrink."

He just smiled a crooked smile and looked around.

"Do you live here?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, suddenly embarrassed. It wasn't the richest neighborhood. More like the cheapest.

"It looks… cozy." I didn't have to look at him to see that he was lying.

I wanted the ground to open and swallow me. Why did I bring a rich ass actor to my poor neighborhood? What wouldn't he think of me now? And why did I care what he thought of me? I stared at the pavement again. We had both stopped walking.

"You can go back… wherever you stay now. Thanks-"

"Let me-"

"-for walking me home. I can manage the last fifty feet."

"Rose-" he tried again and reached for my hand.

I flinched and backed away him.

"See you. Or not," I mumbled and looked at the buttons on his duster.

"I don't-"

I turned around and ran in the direction of my apartment. I could hear him yell after me.

I ran up the stairs and unlocked the door with shaking hands. Mason greeted me loudly. I threw my purse on the couch and scooped him up. I buried my nose in his fur and inhaled the familiar smell of cat.

"Hey Masebaby!"

_Meow!_

"Are you hungry? I bet you are! Mama will feed you, yes she will!" Again in that embarrassing voice no one would ever live to tell others about. I let him down and moved to the kitchen.

As I poured Mason some cat food I thought back to my embarrassing escape. Why did I freak out? He hadn't made fun of me or anything. It was probably the familiar tone of pity in his voice that had gotten to me. I hated being pitied. People at the bar knew I wasn't the richest person on earth. Was it because I felt so lousy compared to him? Why did I even care? I probably wasn't going to see him again. I exhaled in relief. No man, no problem.

"I luuf you, Maseydaysy!" I purred. Mason looked up at me and I smiled down at him. Was it pathetic that my favorite person in my everyday life wasn't even a person? God, I missed Lissa. I made a mental note to call her the next day. She would be ecstatic when I told her about Dimitri and Adrian. And probably a little pissed that I ran from Dimitri and left him in a dark spooky neighborhood. The thought made me smile. How did he get back? I would bet my ass Dimitri Belikov wasn't used to being in situations like that.

I was still smiling when I picked up my ringing phone.

"'Allo?"

"Hi, it's me."

"Who's _me_?" I asked even though I recognized his voice.

"Quit playing, Rose." Christian's tone sounded off.

"What's the matter?" I asked, worried. Had something happened to him?

"Nothing. Did you get home safe? I'm sorry I didn't insist on-"

"I'm fine. What's up? Did your date go wrong?" Silence. Bingo!

"Well… yeah. We broke up. Or she broke up with me," he mumbled.

I was sorry he was hurt but I honestly thought it was for the best. I had always thought Avery Lazar was a crazy bitch.

"Why would she do that? You're too good for her."

"Where have I heard that before? And well… you know. Same old, same old. She didn't like me talking with you. She wasn't ready for a relationship. Blah blah." I had never heard Christian sound so heartbroken. He was usually a smartass with no shown emotions. I was very surprised and happy that he had called me. We usually didn't talking about our feelings and deep things like that. We just had fun and looked out for each other.

"You know what this means?" I asked cheerfully.

"That I'll die alone with a cat?"

"Hey, watch the dig! Mason and I love each other very much." He laughed. Mission accomplished!

"No matchmaking, Rose. I think this bad boy is back on the market for-"

"_This bad boy_? Eew!" I gagged.

We talked and bickered for almost an hour until I couldn't contain my yawns.

"It's past midnight. Go to bed, you crazy cat lady!"

"Take your bad boy to bed." I snickered.

"Goodnight Rose. Thanks for talking. You are really a good friend." He hung up before I could reply.

Twenty minutes later I was in my bed with Mason, staring at the ceiling again.

"Crazy day, huh?"

Mason was already snoring soundly in my ear.

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A/N: 'Ey! Thanks for the review. I'll reply to them soooon - I promise! What do you think of this chapter? What do you think will happen? Let me hear your thoughts. :) Nighty nighty from Denmark.


	6. A Fight And A Proposal

"I thought about calling in sick today," Camille told us as she studied her nails. Meredith and Mia were falling over themselves to get the latest celebrity gossip. I was above that of course. I was only eavesdropping a little as I cleaned an already spotless glass.

"I almost couldn't walk when I woke up," she smirked.

"Ooooh," the girls shrieked and fanned themselves with napkins.

"Tell us more!"

"Oh, I really shouldn't." Camille gave them a sweet smile. Despite her words I knew she was dying to brag about her night with Adrian Ivashkov. She just wanted to make them beg.

"Pleeeeease Cam! We're dying to hear. Right, Mia?" Mia nodded enthusiastically.

"He almost broke me in two," she admitted and studied those damn nails again.

"How big is he?"

"Did he tie you up?"

I decided to check on the tables' ketchup bottles to avoid getting more information on Adrian Ivashkov's anatomy.

"Morning," Hans said as a refilled the bottles in my section.

"Good morning, Boss."

"Why is Mia in? She doesn't have a morning shift today, does she?" he asked as he looked at the three girls giggling.

"Nah. I guess she came to hear the latest gossip. Is Christian in yet?"

"Yeah, Ozera is in the kitchen. But he's in a foul mood. Cursing at the vegetables and everything," Hans chuckled.

I gave Hans a smile and walked past the girls to the kitchen.

"What's up, Ozera?" I asked and leaned against the wall.

"Just cutting these fucking ass vegetables up and watching them die a slow and painful death," was the cheerful answer. He was still very upset about Avery alright.

"That asparagus looks a little like Avery. Maybe you should cut that up and watch it die a slow and painful death." He gave a dark chuckle.

"Have you heard about Conta's sex marathon with that stuck up actor?" he asked as he continued to torture the vegetables.

"Uh-huh. Sound exciting."

"The guy's a creep! Wasn't he flirting with you all night yesterday?"

"Yeah, he did. They probably won't come back though. Camille will probably be less obnoxious in a few months." Christian just snorted.

"Ladies and Ozera, we're opening now. Be ready!" Hans yelled from his office.

"The show must go on," Christian mumbled, looking sad again.

"Let's have tequila after work."

Christian threw his head back and howled with laughter. I couldn't really the fun in it.

"You're amazing, Rose!" he gasped.

I flushed, not used to kind words from him.

"Hathaway!"

"Better go out there before The Boss comes after you."

I nodded and smiled before walking back to my section. The three girls were sill giggling together. I couldn't see any costumers. I guess they waited until after noon to stalk our two celebrities. I decided to be a little social and joined my co-workers.

"Do you think you'll see each other again? Maybe start dating?" Mia asked.

"Sure. I gave him my number. I told him to call me anytime," Camille said and winked.

I couldn't contain my snort. I really doubted Adrian Ivashkov dated anyone.

"Aaaw, don't be jealous, Rosie. Someday a guy will come along and want you for who you are-"

"I doubt Ivashkov feels anything for you-"

"-and you will understand that you don't have to feel insecure-"

"I'm not insecure!" I spluttered.

"I know you have every reason to be jealous of me, Rosie," Camille said in a voice full of pity.

"Stop calling me that!" I barked.

"Stop it, girls," Meredith tried.

"Mia has told me everything about how you were in high school. You were-"

"Shut up!" I yelled.

"Cam, leave her alone," Mia said and placed herself between us.

"-a little whore. Even Jesse said so. You-" I winced.

I swung my fist at her face but Mia grabbed my wrist midair.

"Don't!" Mia warned.

"You crazy bitch!" Camille snarled.

A pair of hands grabbed my shoulder.

"Break it off, girls! Camille, Meredith and Rose, go back your sections. Mia, go home. No more fighting, okay? None!" Hans hissed at us.

I yanked my arm from Mia's grip, turned on my heel and walked back to one of my tables with stinging eyes. _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._ I didn't want Camille to see how much her words had hurt me.

I kept glancing at the clock to count down the minutes to when I could go home and hide under my covers. I hadn't exchanged a single word with either of the girls.

Everyone at the bar knew that Camille had conquered the infamous Adrian Ivashkov. Everyone wanted to hear the juicy details. Camille enjoyed the attention and was probably having the best day of her life.

"He'll probably sit in my section tonight. He told me that he and Dimitri would come back tonight," I overheard her telling a customer. I froze. I didn't want to explain myself to Dimitri. I didn't want to talk to him again. I didn't want to see him at all! He kept making me insecure and blush, and I didn't like that a bit. The infamous Rose Hathaway didn't blush! Or at least she didn't use to. A lot had changed the last year.

I hoped Camille had lied about the two men coming back that night, but she turned out to be telling the truth. I turned my back to the door as they entered the bar. I crossed my fingers and prayed to the man upstairs that they would sit in Camille's section. As the men sat down in my section I decided God didn't exist. And if he did he obviously didn't like me.

This time it was Dimitri who answered me when I asked for their orders.

"Good evening Rose. We'd like two beers please," he said and held my gaze for a little longer than I was comfortable with.

"Sure. I'll be back-"

"You look lovely tonight, little waitress," Adrian interrupted.

"Thanks." I said dryly.

"I love the uniform. It would look good on my floor," he continued. I sighed.

"Adrian! Enough! Stop harassing _all_ of the waitresses. The owner will just kick us out," Dimitri hissed. He looked genuinely angry. He gave me an apologizing look.

"So what? I don't why you insist on going here. We should go to that new rich ass gourmet restaurant with the strip bar."

"I don't want to go to a strip bar-"

"Oh, loosen up, Belikov! When was the last time you had any?"

"That's none of your business!" Adrian smirked as Dimitri blushed.

"That's what I thought. What's the fun of being famous if you don't get any pus-"

"Adrian!"

"I'll just get your beers!" I said cheerfully. The both looked up at me like they forgot I was there.

"Thank you, Rose. I'm very sorry. Please don't take any offense!" Dimitri said.

I gave him a shaky smile and hurried back to get their beers. Camille was shooting daggers at me from across the room. I guess she wasn't too happy about the men sitting in my section either.

I went back to their table with a dozen daggers in my back.

Dimitri cleared his throat as I gave them their drinks.

"I'm truly sorry about before, little waitress," Adrian said.

"No problem."

"Let me make it up to you. Come home with me tonight," he said with his charming heartbreaker smile.

Dimitri swore in a language I guessed was Russian.

"No thank you. I appreciate the offer though." I smirked back at him.

"Your loss. You'll come crawling back to me soon enough. I'll take your friend Cathrine then."

"Camille," I corrected him with a smirk.

He just shrugged. Dimitri sent me another apologizing look. Despite myself I smiled. The bantering had cheered me up.

* * *

**A/N: Uuuh, it's an update! I really need to go to bed now! Thanks for the reviesw! I'll reply to them tomorrow. Tell me what you think of this chapter. xoxo**


	7. In The Parking Lot Again

"Oh my God!" I shrieked and cupped my mouth with my hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you again," Dimitri apologized. He was standing before me with his hands in the pockets of the duster.

We were standing in the parking lot again. It was 3 o'clock and I was on my way home.

"S'alright. What are you doing out here?" I asked as my heartbeat calmed down.

"I was waiting for you actually." He crossed his arms and leaned against an expensive looking car.

"Wasn't the food to your liking? You should talk to my boss then." I knew I was stalling. I was pretty sure he didn't want to talk about food. I didn't want to discuss my embarrassing flight.

"The food was fine. I wanted to talk about yesterday."

"I'm not your shrink. If you don't know how to spend your money-"

"Rose," he warned.

"-then donate it to charity."

"I actually donate a lot of my money to charity. And you're not making any sense. But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

He was right of course. I didn't make any sense. I was just trying to distract him by provoking him. It didn't look it was working. On to plan B.

"If you'll excuse me I have plans-"

"No you don't. Christian went home alone," he said as he studied my closely. How did he know I had talked to Christian about hanging out after work?

"You know Christian?" I asked surprised. Christian hadn't mentioned knowing a famous actor.

"His last name is Ozera, right?" he asked casually. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Maybe you _are_ a crazy murderer. And you've picked Christian as your next target."

He actually had the nerve to laugh at me. I think my heart skipped a beat. Damn he looked handsome.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you. I know his aunt. Natasha Ozera," he explained.

I gaped at him. Natasha Ozera was a famous actress. I remembered Mia telling me that she was Dimitri's co-star in his new movie.

"Christian is related to Tasha Ozera?" I asked disbelievingly. He had never mentioned that.

Dimitri only nodded and tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"You're lying!" I spat angrily and punched him in the chest. I gasped in pain. His chest was _hard_! He watched be with an amused expression as I blew on my knuckles.

"You can ask Christian yourself. The name isn't very common in America either. But you've sidetracked me. I want to know why you ran yesterday. Did I…did I scare you?" he asked, looking concerned and a little guilty.

"No! No. No, it was just because…" I didn't know what to tell him.

"Because of what, Rose?" he asked, still looking concerned.

"Not all of us are rich ass actors, okay?" I spat bitterly.

He looked taken aback. And hurt. I felt guilty for hurting him.

"Do you think I think less of you because-"

"It doesn't matter, okay? We don't even know each other!" I threw up my hands. I desperately wanted to get away from him. I didn't want to discuss this at all. He was making my life complicated. Looking angry, he opened his mouth to say something.

"HEY! Belikov! Did you change your mind about that pussy?" Adrian yelled from across the parking lot. Both Dimitri and I cringed at the crude word. I felt myself blush.

"Be quiet, Ivashkov!" Dimitri yelled back with reddening cheeks.

"Just ask her out on a date already!" Wait… What?!

"Mind your own business!"

"I'm tired of you pinning for her. Be a man and do something about it!"

My heart was hammering against my rib cage. Was Adrian just messing with him? Was he mocking me? Was Dimitri embarrassed because he didn't want me to think that he liked me? I stared at his shoes. They were big. Did that mean…? NO, Rose!

"I most apologize for Adrian's immature behavior again," Dimitri said to break the awkward silence after Adrian had left. I dared to look up at him again. Damn those brown eyes!

"No problem," I said and gave him a slight smile.

"Rose, I-"

"I should get home-"

We started talking at the same time. We both laughed nervously. He scratched his neck and bit my finger.

"What?" I asked him curiously.

"Never mind. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will?" I asked surprised.

"That's if… if you have a nightshift tomorrow?"

"How did you know that?" I demanded and looked him dead into the eye. He squirmed.

"Ah, I… Adrian told me," he admitted sheepishly. Had he been asked after me?

"And how did Adrian know?"

"Your friend told him."

"She's not my friend," I mumbled and remembered what Camille had said to me earlier. It only made me want to go home even more. An evening on the couch with Mason was just what I needed.

He opened his mouth to say something when his ringing phone cut him off.

"Dimitri Belikov," he answered.

I stood there awkwardly. Should I just go? Our weird conversation was pretty much over.

He pulled the phone from his ear and said: "It's my agent. I've got to take this. I'll see you later, Rose." He gave me a last sexy smile and wandered off, talking on his phone.

"Bye!" I said to no one.

I called Lissa and talked to her on my way home. I told her about Dimitri and Adrian, about Christian's heartbreak and about Camille being a bitch. She told me about the life at college. She loved her classes, but I already knew that. Lissa loved everything about school. She told me she was having problems with her boyfriend Aaron. I never really liked the guy. I had seen rocks more interesting than him. Lissa told me that she would come home for the next weekend. It would be great to see her again. I was starting to feel a little lonely.

As I lay in bed with Mason I looked out in the dark room and thought about my day as usual. I didn't quite know what to think of Dimitri. Was it possible that he liked me? Or was he just after sex like Adrian? Somehow Dimitri seemed too shy and respectful for that. He wasn't what I imagined a famous actor to be. Adrian Ivashkov was.

* * *

**A/N: Hillo again. Early update. Let me hear the applause! This chapter was pretty short. The next one will be longer and probably a little more interesting. *wink wink* Please let me hear your thoughts! Thanks for the reviews! They make me very happy. :) I'll answer to the reviews of the former chapter tomorrow. Sleep tight or party hard! **


	8. Jill And A Wedding

"Hi," sounded a nervous voice.

I looked up and was surprised to see Mia. What did she want? I just smiled stiffly at her, not feeling like talking to her. I hoped she got the hint.

"I'm really sorry about what Camille said-"

"Don't sweat it, Mia." I turned my back to her and poured coke into a glass.

The bar was as busy as it had been the last week. Hans had even hired a new waitress. Jill Dragomir, Lissa's sister. I had always liked Jill and she looked up to me for some crazy reason. She was my apprentice and right now she was taking a costumer's order. She looked a little shy but excited.

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" Mia asked and I jumped a little. I had forgotten she was there.

"Nope," I said and fiddled with the napkins, hoping she would go away.

"Do you want to hang out?" she asked hesitantly.

"I thought you had plans with Camille?" was my bitter answer.

"I had-"

"But she dumped you to fuck Ivashkov?" I guessed.

"Yeah," she admitted.

"So you figured poor friendless Rose would be excited that you wanted to spend time with her?" I chuckled darkly. I certainly wasn't an at-your-convenience-kind-of-girl.

"I'm sorry, Rose. We used to be good friends. Can't we be that again?" Mia asked carefully. I guess she was afraid to set off my temper. She had seen me get into quite a few fights in high school.

"I don't think so," I said and hurried back to my customer before checking on Jill.

"How are you doing, Jill?" I asked the younger Dragomir.

"Oh, I'm doing great! This is fun. People are nice!" she said enthusiastically. She had a huge smile on her face. I couldn't help but smile back at her. She looked at something over my shoulder and her jaw dropped. I was pretty sure I knew why. I turned around and watched Dimitri and Adrian enter the bar. Adrian winked at several females and Dimitri was looking at…me. He gave me a sweet smile as they made their way to a vacant table.

"Go take their orders, Jill," I instructed.

Jill was still standing with her mouth open and wide eyes. I waved my hand in her face.

"Me-e? No, I can't do that!" she exclaimed.

"You can do it, Jill!" I said and gave her a gentle push in their direction. I made myself busy close by to watch them.

"Hi. I'm Ji-Jill! Can I eat your orders? No, I mean… drinks!" she spluttered. I cringed internally.

"I mean-"

"We'd like two beers, Ji-Jill," Adrian teased.

"Just Jill," I heard Jill mumble.

"Of course. Hello Jill, I'm Adrian," he said and put out his hand. Jill wiped her hand off in her shirt and shook his hand.

"And this anti-social guy here is Dimitri," Adrian said as he let go of her hand.

"Hello Jill. It's nice to meet you. Are you helping Rose with her section today?" Dimitri asked and gave her a sweet smile.

"I am! I'm in training here. Do you know Rose?" she asked curiously.

"Eh," was Dimitri's brilliant answer. Adrian just chuckled. Dimitri looked over Jill's shoulder and locked eyes with me. I gave him an awkward wave and hurried over to another table. I glanced over at their table and watched Jill retreat to pick up their drinks. Adrian said something to Dimitri that made him punch him in the shoulder.

"Don't the two of you work at all?" I asked Dimitri and Adrian as I served them their burgers.

"Nope. I spend most of my time looking at pretty ladies," Adrian said and leaned back into his seat.

"We do. We've been filming since five am," Dimitri said and swallowed a yawn.

"You must live a hard life," I remarked dryly.

"Oh yes. Do you know how exhausting it is to throw beautiful women out of your bed every day?" Adrian sighed.

"No, I have never tried that," I teased. I know I complained a lot about Adrian, but he had grown on me. It was a long time since I had had someone to banter with.

"Rose-" Adrian started.

"I need to get back to work. Just because you're VIPs, you can't take all of my time."

"That's a shame. But Dimitri wants to talk to you after work."

"Adrian!" Dimitri hissed.

"You're too much of a pus-"

"Shhh!"

"You are! You think our little waitress here is a mind reader?"

"I can talk for myself!" Dimitri spluttered angrily.

"But you don't! You just sulk in the corner!" Adrian hissed back.

People were staring. I wasn't every day you saw two famous actors bicker. I wasn't quite sure what to do. Was Adrian just teasing us?

"I'll just…" I turned to walk away but Dimitri gently grabbed my wrist before I got away.

"Sorry," he mumbled and let go again.

"No biggie." My wrist was tingling with warmth. What was that about?

"Eh, I do want to speak with you. If you have time?" Dimitri asked.

"Sure. Usual time, usual place?" I asked with a grin.

"I'll be there," he said and gave me a full smile. I just grinned back at him like an idiot.

"Now you have a date. Rose, you don't get paid to flirt with the costumers. Get back to work," Adrian drawled. I grimaced at him and hurried back to the staring Jill.

"Do you have a date with Dimitri Belikov?" she whispered excited.

"Not yet," I whispered back. I wasn't sure what he was going to ask me. I didn't want to get my hopes up. Maybe he wanted advice on how to raise kittens.

"Wouldn't it be cool if you got married? I could be your bridesmaid!" she gushed a little too loud.

"Jill, shut up!" I hissed. She just giggled at me.

Thanks to Jill I spent the rest of my shift daydreaming about marrying Dimitri. In my head it was a huge wedding. I had a beautiful dress on and Dimitri looked handsome in his suit. Lissa was the maid of honor and her sister was a bridesmaid as well.

I giggled out loud and Hans sent me a weird look.

* * *

**A/N: Hello worshipers. It's 2:30 am and I'm going shopping in Copenhagen tomorrow. I should probably go to bed, shouldn't I? But I just had to finish this chapter for you. How did you like it? What do you think Dimitri wants? To kill her? Or abduct her and make her his sex slave? ;) Lol! And what about Mia? Should Rose give her another chance? But thanks for the many reviews! I'll reply to them when I get home tomorrow. Sleep tight and dream of Dimitri! Or Adrian. I'm a Dimitri lover myself!**


	9. Kitten Advice Or Not

"I know you're there," I smirked.

I turned around and looked into the face of Dimitri Belikov. Or well, his chest. The man was a fucking mountain!

"You've just ruined my abduction plans," he said in a serious voice.

I tipped my head back to get a better look at him. His features showed no signs of humor.

"You think you can take me?" I challenged. He gave me a once-over and raised an eyebrow.

"I took combat classes in high school!" I said defensively. He was more than a foot taller than me. And damn, he was muscular. I had seen a few of his movies and it was a shame he didn't appear shirtless in any of them. It surprised me that him being famous didn't weird me out. He didn't seem like any of his roles. Or like a celebrity really. If I hadn't seen his movies or seen people falling over themselves to talk to him, I would never have guessed that he was an actor. A police officer would probably have been my guess.

He chuckled and the sound made shivers run down back. Not good, Rose! What was it with this guy? I had a stern no dating rule. I guess I didn't hurt to make an exception, right?

"Sooo..." I said to break the silence.

"What?" he asked confused, still not breaking the eye contact.

"You wanted to talk, remember?"

"Talk, right. Um, I was wondering…" I could feel my heart rate speed up. Was he really asking me out? Or was it the kitten advice? Or-

"…if you wanted to have dinner with me some day. Or just coffee. Or-"

"Yes," I said without hesitation, my heart nearly breaking my ribs.

"Yes?" he asked. For some crazy reason he looked surprised. Did he really expect me to turn him down? I couldn't see why any girl would turn him down. I didn't see why he was asking _me_ out either, but I wasn't going to question that now.

"Yes," I confirmed.

"Great! I'll call you?"

"Okay!" I said with a big grin.

"I'll need your number for that," he teased.

"Oh, sure." I read him my number and he dialed it into his iPhone.

"Thanks Rose. I've got to go. Adrian ditched me again. He texted me that he left with Mia."

"You mean Camille," I corrected.

"No. Mia, the petite blonde."

"You're kidding!" I exclaimed. What did Camille say to that? And did Adrian Ivashkov have no shame in life? Wonderful, more drama!

Dimitri just shook his head with a rueful smile.

"I-I don't have sex on first dates," I blurted, worrying that he maybe had been inspired by Adrian.

"Good," was all he said as he looked down at me with a breathtaking smile and those chocolate eyes. He brushed his knuckles along my cheekbone, turned around and left.

I dialed Lissa up as I sat on the couch with Mason. The shock had worn off and I yearned to tell Lissa about my hot date.

"Lissa! I have great news-"  
"R-rose?" Lissa sniffled. My heart started beating rapidly. Was she hurt? I always looked out for Lissa in high school. I didn't like her being so far away now if something happened to her. I had always been there for her. What if she needed me now?

"What's the matter?" I demanded.

"W-what's the news?" Yep, she was defiantly crying. Someone was going down.

"Liss! Spit it out!"

"It's Aaron-"

"What did he do?" I spat angrily. I swear to God, if he had hurt a single hair on her head-!

"He-e broke u-up with me!" she sobbed.

"Oh." I exhaled in relief. She would realize it was for the best. The guy was the definition of boring.

"I'm so sorry, Liss! I know how you felt about him but-"

-"it's for the best. Yeah, yeah, I know." She sighed and blew her nose.

"You'll find someone better," I promised. Maybe she and Christian could comfort each other. I could set them up in the weekend. That would probably need some persuasion.

"Let's talk about it later. What's your big news?"

"Uh, I'm going on a date with Dimitri," I said calmly and waited for her response.

"Dimitri BELIKOV?" she shrieked.

"No, the other Dimitri I know," I deadpanned.

"Oh my god, Rose! Tell me anything! Where are you going? Did you have sex yet?"

"Of course not!" I protested.

"Did he kiss you then? Compliment your eyes? Breasts?"

She went on for almost an hour. When first she got started on girl talk it was impossible to stop her. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. It missed the times with Lissa. We used to spend hours everyday gossiping.

"I have to hang up. He might call you!" she suddenly yelled. I winced. She was going to damage my hearing.

"Don't-" I said to the dial tone.

I crawled into bed with Mason and my phone. I didn't know if I should be disappointed that he hadn't called yet. He did chance his mind? Perhaps it was a joke between him and Adrian? Or was it Camille who had put him up to it? I pushed my insecurities away. I wouldn't hide behind them anymore. I wanted to crawl out of my shell again. I put my phone on my night stand, gave Mason a kiss and snuggled into my bed with a smile on my face.

Look out; Rose Hathaway's _back_, bitches.

* * *

**A/N: I'm still alive! I had a busy fall break last week and now I've lots of homework (US election this, US election that). I'll update soon(I hope) and with a longer chapter. Tell me your thoughts please. Thanks for the reviews! They're my motivation. :)**


	10. Date with an Actor

Dimitri Belikov was holding my hand. _My_ hand. Dimitri Belikov! You get it? Dimitri Belikov in my hand. Well, not like that. Yet. Focus on the food, Rose!

He had called me the next morning. We were almost through our expensive dinner. Everything was going surprisingly well. He had told me about his family and how he grew up in Siberia. He made me laugh when he told about how he used to be afraid of his crazy grandmother. I told him about Lissa and my time in high school. I didn't really want to talk about my family and I didn't want to bore him with my sad life. It wasn't really that glamorous.

I had been nervous when I discovered his choice of restaurant. I had stammered that there was no way in hell I could afford it, and he had taken hold of my hand and promised me that I wouldn't spend a dime. I would have protested but the surge of energy from out joined hands distracted me. We sat in some private section with fewer people. Rich ass politicians and business men mostly. They didn't look so happy with the fact that their wives were gawking at Dimitri. Not that you could blame them.

"How is your duck?" he asked, oblivious to their stares and drooling.

"Uh, it's best duck I've ever had." And the first. I wasn't used to fancy food like duck. What was wrong with good old chicken? I liked trying new things and I knew I could never afford meals like this on my own. It was pretty delicious actually.

"We'll have pizza next time," he promised with a smile. He was having some weird Russian soup himself.

"Next time?" I asked surprised. I was scared I was boring him with my dull life and stories.

"If you want there to be a next time?" he asked with a shy smile. Damn, he looked cute. I could feel my heart flutter. Maybe I genuinely had a chance with this guy! Who should have thought that?

I chewed my duck slowly and pretended to think about it.

"If you're not sure-" he began, looking a little hurt.

"Of course!" I spluttered and accidently spat some duck out on the table. I subtly covered it with my napkin, hoping he didn't notice. I wasn't about to lose my chance of dating him because I couldn't keep the food in my mouth.

"Really? I'm glad." He smiled at me and I smiled helplessly back. It really looked like things were about to chance. I had to give up my safe life in my little bubble. It was about time.

A waitress interrupted our little moment and Dimitri let go of my hand. I looked up annoyed and found a blonde woman glaring back at me. What was her problem? _Angeline _her name tag said.

"Can I get you anything, Mr. Belikov?" she purred and stroked her rather exposed cleavage with her pen. He gave her a patient smile and looked back at me.

"Do you want dessert, Rose?"

What kind of question was that? I had seen a few delicious cakes earlier and I was dying for chocolate. But I knew I had gained a few pounds these last months. Chocolate and chubbiness vs. no chocolate and skinniness?

"Yes please!" I could already taste the chocolate in my mouth.

"What would you like then?"

"Chocolate cake!" I was probably a little too enthusiastic. But man… it was chocolate cake we were talking about.

"To slices of chocolate cake please," Dimitri told Angeline.

"You love chocolate, don't you?" he asked when she had left.

"Who doesn't? It's a piece of heaven! It's one of the best things in life. It's-" I was interrupted by his chuckle. I blushed scarlet again. Why did I always start blabbering about chocolate?

"I've never seen anyone so passionate about chocolate before. It's adorable." He was looking at me fondly with a breathtaking smile.

"Thanks. I hope the cake's good," I mumbled and stared at my hand on the table.

He covered my tiny hand with his larger one and stroked my knuckles with his thumb, and kept smiling at me. My heartbeat sped up again and I prayed that my palms wouldn't get too sweaty.

"Tell me more about yourself, Rose," he requested as he played with my fingers. I breathed in as I scanned the room for a minute.

"I'm not very interesting. What would you like to know?"

"Everything." Something about his tone made me look up.

I ended up telling him about my family as we waited for the chocolate cake. I didn't know what it was about him that made me open up like that. We talked back and forth as we enjoyed our delicious cake.

"I should take you home now. Are you working tomorrow?" he asked later. I was surprised to see that it was almost eleven o'clock. He flagged down the waiter and paid for our rather expensive meal. I must have looked guilty because he gave me a reassuring smile and took my hand. We walked in a comfortable silence to his car.

I studied him as he drove me home. His tall frame somehow managed to look sexy behind the wheel, his brows furrowed in concentration as he controlled the car. I squirmed in the seat as I imagined him controlling me. I swallowed loudly.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked and looked at me as he stopped for red light.

"Uhm, just our dinner," I lied and may have blushed a little. I wasn't about to admit I was having dirty thoughts about him. It would probably scare him away.

"Did you have a good time?"

"I did. Thank you very much, Dimitri."

He stopped the car and I was surprised to find myself at my apartment. Before I got my own belt unlocked Dimitri was out of the car and at my side. I was surprised when he opened the door for me. No one had done that for me. Being a feminist I didn't know if I should be offended or melting into a pile of goo on the sidewalk. He took hold of my hand again and walked me to the apartment building.

"Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me, Rose. I had a wonderful time," he said as he stopped and looked down at me. I swallowed again. Was he going to kiss me? Should I kiss him? I stared up into his wonderful brown eyes as he bent down and brushed his lips against mine. My heart almost escaped from my chest as I froze. He was kissing me! He was about to pull back when I locked my hand between his neck and pressed my mouth firmly against his. We pulled back at the same time and smiled at each other.

"I'll see you later, Rose," he whispered as he turned around and walked back to his car. I touched my burning lips as I watched his black Porsche speed away.

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**A/N: Hi... Did you miss me? :/ Sorry it took me ages to update. I actually wrote the first half of this chapter months ago but I got busy. So I got lazy and thought "nn one cares about your stupid story anyway". But now I got over myself and here is the chapter. What do you think? :)) I hope I'll update soon. (And this time I mean it. I hope)**


	11. Blonde Back in Town

I kept playing our time together in my head on my way to work. We had talked about so much, and for the first time ever, a guy had actually seemed interested in my story and my opinions. To my surprise, he seemed a little shy when he talked about himself, as if he wasn't used to it. It was evident how much he missed his family and homeland when he spoke of it. He had been so adorable and I was pretty sure I felt a little too strongly about him.

"Hi, Rose," Mia greeted me as I entered the bar. I nodded at her and went to Hans' office to leave my things there.

"'Morning, Rosie. What kind of great plans do you have tonight since you can't work?" Hans asked from his chair.

"Do you know Lissa Dragomir, Jill's sister? She's coming home from college this weekend." I couldn't help smiling. I couldn't remember the last time I had been in such a good mood. I'd been on a wonderful date and my best friend was coming home.

"I know her. She should come home more often if that's what making you so happy," he said and gave me a suspicious look. I just gave him my biggest smile and went back to my section. The usual morning regulars were arriving and I had enough to do. My cheery attitude got me more tips and that only added to my good day.

When business got slow I went with Meredith when she went for a smoke break. I checked my Nokia to see that I had two new text messages. One from Lissa and one from Dimitri. I read Lissa's first because I was nervous of what Dimitri had written. Did he not want to see me again? Was the kiss that bad? _Stop it, Rose._ Lissa's text said that she had arrived before time and would be at the bar in a few hours. I checked the time the text was sent. It was two hours ago! She would be here soon. After taking a deep breath, I opened Dimitri's text.

_Dearest Rose,_

_I'd like to thank you again for last night. I really had the best time. I was hoping we could repeat the success again soon? I'm sad I won't see you tonight but I hope you have fun with Lissa. _

_-D_

It's was so him writing such a formal text that I couldn't help but smile. My heart was close to jumping out of my chest and my fingers shook as I wrote him my answer.

_I'd love to go out again. I worried I had scared you away. J I'll be busy with Lissa this weekend but I'm free Monday, Wednesday and Saturday next week? _

I pressed send before I started overanalyzing my words.

"Who is he?" Meredith asked, making me jump. I had forgotten she was there. She smiled at me as she lit another cigarette.

"Who's is who? I'm just texting Lissa," I lied. I wasn't sure what Dimitri and I had, or if he wanted others to know.

"If didn't know you swung that way," she smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"You got me. I have a lesbian crush on my best friend," I said and chuckled.

"You look like you're in love. I hope the guy's being good to you," she said, threw her cigarette on the ground and went inside before I could protest.

I was only done with my shift when the doors opened and a familiar blonde walked in, looking as graceful as always.

"ROSEMARIE HATHAWAY!" she shrieked and ran into my arms. I was still holding a glass so the hug was a little awkward.

"Hi Liss, it's nice to see you, too. Please don't smother me to death," I laughed and tried to put the glass down without letting go of my best friend. She gave me a last squeeze before letting me go. She looked perfect as ever with her long straight blonde hair, pale complexion and large emerald eyes.

"Oh, you're still working. I'll just sit here and order a Diet Coke," she said and sat down at a table.

"Coming right up!" I bent over to give her a last hug and picked up the glass before going back to the bar to fetch her drink.

"It's on the house." I looked up to see Hans smile at me.

"Thanks, boss. Buy why?"

"Don't question me, Rosie. When she's done with her drink, you can go. He smirked at me and went over to check on Meredith. I shrugged and went back to his office to get my things before returning to Lissa. Free drink and getting off work early? I was starting to like Hans better.

"The coke's on the house. Hans says we can leave when you're done." I gave her the coke and reached for my phone when it beeped.

"Nice guy. He probably has a thing for you."

"Hans? No! He's old. Like thirty-three or so. I-" I stopped talking when I opened the text.

"Woah, he must retire soon then. But of course you already have a lover boy. Is that him?" she asked excitedly.

"Mmmm," I said as I smilingly replied to his text.

"Oh God! Is he writing dirty things? I bet he's good at that!" She gripped my arm and shook it.

"NO! Liss, calm down. We just met! And keep your voice down!" I whispered and looked around, making sure no one had heard her.

She just took a sip of her coke and smile innocently at me, before moving to look at something behind me. I turned around and saw Christian walking towards us.

"Hey, Rose." He said and stopped.

"Hey yourself," I said as I tried to pretend I didn't understand what his eyes were trying to communicate. He might as well had yelled "introduce me!"

I smirked at him and turned to Lissa again.

"Liss, this is Christian Ozera. Chris, this is my best friend Lissa Dragomir."

They shook hands and smiled at each other. Christian had a weird look on his face.

"I've heard so much about you!" he blurted.

"Really?" Lissa said and blushed. He nodded enthusiastically.

"Rose never mentioned how beautiful you were though." Ugh.

I drank the last of Lissa's coke and slammed the empty bottle down.

"Time to go, Lissa. Say goodbye to lover boy!" I said to break them up. She didn't have time for flirting now. I pulled her up by her arm and pulled her with me.

"It was nice to meet you, Christian," she yelled over her shoulder.

We could just hear his "likewise" before the doors slammed shut behind us.

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**A/N: Hello. It has been a while, hasn't it? Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy and I wasn't sure how to continue the story. I will probably have more time to update now that school's almost out. If you're nice to me. Thanks for the reviews, guys! :) I'll try to have another chapter up soon. (And this time I mean it, lol.)**


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